Tropical Rainforest Facts

Moneran
A moneran is a single-celled organism
with no nucleus. Some monerans
produce their own food and some "hunt".

Micrococcus luteus
Cocci Shaped

This bacteria is found in dust, water, and air. The moneran is also found in the human mouth.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Rod Shaped

Agrobacterium tumefaciens connect themselves to plants in wet forests.

This bacteria also can weaken people's immune systems.

Protists

-A protist is an organism with a nucleus and organelles, and most protists are single-celled.

Protozoan
-A protozoan is animal-like, has no cell walls, and no chlorophyll.

Plasmodium simium

This protozoan lives in a spider monkey's body.

Algae
-Algae is "plant-like", it has cell walls, and contains chlorophyll.

Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii
Common name: Blue green algae.

This aglae lives in the waters of tropical and subtropical climate

Fungi

-Fungi are multi-celled organisms that don't contain chlorophyll, and absorb nutrients.

Ascomycota

-Ascomycota is a phylum that contains cup shaped fungi.

Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: AscomycotaClass: Sordariomycetes
Order: Hypocreales
Family: Clavivicipitacae
Genus: CordycepsSpecies: sinensis
Common name: Caterpiller Fungus

This Fungi lives on insects. Such as caterpillers, misquitos,and crickets.

Basidiomycota is a phylum that contains fungi with clubs and closely packed filaments. Some of the types include mushrooms, jelly fungi, and rusts, and make up about 37% of the fungi types.

Clavulinopsis helvola

This fungi is found in the herbs in broad-leafed forests such as tropical rainforests.

Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycata
Class: Basidiomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Clavariaceae
Genus: Clavulinonopsis
Species: helvola
Common Name: Orange Clubs

Zygomycota is a class that includes threadlike fungi. The fungus has a spore at the end of each filament.
Phycomyces blakesleeanus

This fungi lives inside the bodies of decaying plants and animals.

Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Zygomycota
Class: Zygomycetes
Order: Mucorales
Family: Phycomycetaceae
Genus: Phycomyces
Species: blakesleeanus

Basidiomycota

-This fungi phylum has closely packed filaments, and are grouped in clubs.
Kingdom:Fungi
Phylum:Basidiomycota
Class:Basidiomycetes
Order:Agaricales
Family:Strophariaceae Genus:Pholiota
Species:squarrosa
Common name:Shaggy Pholiota

This Basidiomycota lives on dead or decaying wood and broad leafed trees.

Plants
-an organism that is multi-celled, has cell walls, and has chlorophyll.

Hayley's Plants

Magnoliopsida
-vascular seed plants that produce an embryo with paired cotyledons and net-veined leaves

Scientific Name: Ceiba pentandra
Common Name: Kapok Tree
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malvales
Family: Bombacaceae
Genus: Ceiba
Species: pentandra

This Kapok Tree is a large tree of the tropical rainforest, so it uses a lot of space to grow in. It also reaches high above most of the other plants, so it receives a lot of sunlight.

Fun Fact: The seed's cottony
seedcovering can be used for mattress stuffing.

Liliopsida
-vascular seed plants that produce an embryo with parallel-veined leaves, includes grasses, lilies palms, and orchids

Scientific Name: Bambusa tulda
Common Name: Spineless Indian Bamboo
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Bambusa
Species: tulda

This Spineless Indian Bamboo is found on the tropical rainforest floor, and receives sunlight from in between the tall trees.

Fun Fact: Bambusa tulda is
considered to be one of the
most useful of all bamboo species.

Ginkgoopsida
-vascular plants with triangular leaves that may be two-lobed and have parallel veins

Scientific Name: Ginkgo biloba
Common Name: Maidenhair Tree
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Ginkgoopsida
Order: Ginkgoales
Family: Ginkgoaceae
Genus: Ginkgo
Species: biloba

This Maidenhair Tree lives on the tropical rainforest floor, and prefers moderate moisture. It receives little sunlight, which makes it difficult to survive.

Fun Fact: Long ago natives to tropical
rainforests called Maidenhair Trees,
"tree with leaves like a duck's foot."

Psilotophyta
-vascular flowerless plants with stems that conduct water and dissolved solutes through the plant

Scientific Name: Psilotum triquetrum
Common Name: Whisk Fern
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Psilotopsida
Order: Psilotales
Family: Psilotaceae
Genus: Psilotum
Species: triquetrum

This Whisk Fern lives on the edge of the tropical rainforest low to the ground.

Fun Fact: Whisk Ferns are often described as,
"Living Fossils" because they are very similar
to common plants long ago.

Lycopodiopsida
-vascular plants containing clubmosses as well as many extinct forms, have roots and stems that are covered with numerous small leaves

Scientific Name: Lycopodiella cernua
Common Name: CreepingClubmoss
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Lycopodiopsida
Order: Lycopodiales
Family: Byrrhoidea
Genus: Lycopodiella
Species: cernua

This Creeping Clubmoss shrub lives in partial to full shade on the tropical rainforest floor.

Fun Fact: New Zealand has
around ten species of clubmosses.

Equisetophyta
-vascular plants with hollow, ribbed green stems and roots

Scientific Name: Equisetum hyemale
Common Name: Scouring Rush Horsetail
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Equisetophyta
Order: Equisetales
Family:Equisetaceae
Genus: Equisetum
Species: hyemale

This Scouring Rush Horsetail lives on the tropical rainforest floor and normally grows between three to six inches from other plants.

Fun Fact: Scouring Rush
Horsetails can live in up to
six inches of water.

Emily's Plants

Bryophyta
-A phylum of vascular plants such as mosses and liverworts.


Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Bryophyta
Class: Bryopsida
Order: Dicranales
Family: Noctuoidea
Genus: Octoblepharum
Species: albidum
No Common Name.

Fun Fact: This moss produces a very subtle acid but over time can
kill the roots of trees.

This Bryophyta is located at the base of broad leafed trees.

Magnoliophyta
-A vascular plant with tissues to conduct materials throughout the plant.
This phylum consists of mostly flowering plants.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Santalales
Family: Lorantheaceae
Genus: Dendrophthoe
Species: falcata
Common Name: Rainforest Mistletoe

Fun Fact: This Magnoliopsida is a partial parasite.

The Rainforest Mistletoe is located in the canopy of the rainforest and grows on the bark and branches of the tall trees.

Polypodiophyta
- This phylum consists of mostly ferns that are vascular, and have chlorophyll.


Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiosida
Order: Polypodiales
Family: Polypodiaceae
Genus: Platycerium
Species: bifurcatum
Common Name: Staghorn Fern

Fun Fact: The Staghorn fern doesn't need any soil to grow.

The Staghorn fern lives the canopy of the Tropical Rainforest and grows on the bark of the trees.

Filicophyta
- This Phylum consists of mostly wisk ferns that are vascular and contain chlorophyll.


Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Filicophyta
Class: Filicopsida
Order: Filicales
Family: Dryoteridaceae
Genus: Dryopteris
Species: arata
Common Name: Shield Fern

Fun Fact: The Shield Fern extends it's roots to the bottom of the tree so that
it can get sun light and the nutrients from the soil that it needs.

The Tropical Rainforest Shield Fern is located on the bark of the broad leaf trees.

Manoliophyta
-A vascular plant that has tissues to conduct materials throughout the plant.
This phylum consists of mostly flowering plants.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Commelinales
Family: Commelinoideae
Genus: Dichorisandra
Species: thyrsiflora
Common Name: Blue Ginger

Fun Fact: Blue Ginger can also be found at the top of water falls and
sometimes in the water.

Blue Ginger is located on the rainforest floor in shady areas.

Lycophyta
- A phylum that contains mostly quillworts, spikemoss, and club mosses.
This Phylum has vascular plants and they contain chlorophyll.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Lycophyta
Class: Lycopodiosida
Order: Selaginellales
Family: Selaginellaceae
Genus: Selaginella
Species: bellula
No common name.

This Lycophyta lives at the base of broad leafed trees in the Tropical Rainforest.

Animals
-organisms that are multi-celled and digest food inside their body




Reptilia
-cold-blooded air-breathing vertebrates with a body that is usually covered with scaly horns or plates

Scientific Name: Caiman yacare
Common Name: South American Caiman
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Crocodila
Family: Crocodylidae
Genus: Caiman
Species: yacare

This South American Caiman lives around almost any freshwater body, but prefers slow water like streams, ponds, and lakes.

Annelida
-invertebrates that have the body of numerous segments, and without jointed legs

Scientific Name: Lumbricus terrestris
Common Name: Common Earthworm
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Clitellada
Order: Oligochaeta
Family: Lumbricidae
Genus: Lumbricus
Species: terrestris

This Common Earthworm lives in up to 6.5 feet under the soil in the tropical rainforest.

Aves
-animals composed of birds, which are warm-blooded, egg-laying
vertebrates primarily adapted for flying

Scientific Name: Trichoglossus ornatus
Common Name: Ornate Lorikeet
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Loriinae
Genus: Trichoglossus
Species: ornatus

This Ornate Lorikeet lives in the tropical rainforest edge, high up in trees that shed leaves.

Mammals

-vertebrates that are warm-blooded, feed their young with milk, and are the only animals with hair

Scientific Name: Ateles hybridus
Common Name: Hybrid Spider Monkey
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Cebidae
Genus: Ateles
Species: hybridus

Hybrid Spider Monkeys live in the upper levels of the forest canopy. They use their tail as a fifth limb.

Nemertea
-invertebrates that are unsegmented water worms with no body cavity, live in mud or sand (ribbon worm, proboscis worm)

Scientific Name: Parborlasia corrugatus
Common Name: None
Kingdom: Anamalia
Phylum: Nemertea
Class: Anopla
Order: Heteronemertea
Family: Lineidae
Genus: Parborlasia
Species: corrugatus

This Parborlasia corrugatus lives at the bottom of the Amazon river near the land in mud and sand.

Nematoda
-invertebrates with a symmetrical body, a tube-like digestive system at both ends of the body, is worm-like, has no blood system

Scientific Name: Trichinella spiralis
Common Name: Pork Worm
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Nematoda
Class: Adenophorea
Order: Trichocephalida
Family: Trichinellidae
Genus: Trichinella
Species: spiralis

This Pork Worm lives inside the body of wild swine that live in tropical rainforests.

Emily's Animals

Annelida
- A phylum of invertebrates which have five heats, a simple nervous system, "brain",
and one opening for food and another for waste.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Polychaeta
Order: Eunicida
Family: Eunicidae
Genus: Eunice
Species: viridis
Common Name: Palolo Worm

The Palolo Worm is most commomly found in the Amazon River but is also found in other waters of the Tropical Rainforest.

Mollusca
- A phylum of invertebrates that are soft bodied, have well developed organ
systems and some have hard shells.

Kingdom: Anamalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylonnatophora
Family: Patuloidea
Genus: Partula
Species: taeniata
Common Name: Partula Snail

The Partula Snail lives in wet broad leafed forests. They spend the day on the under side of broad leafs.

Arthropoda
-A phylum of invertebrates that have multiple body segments, jointed appendages,
and an exoskeleton.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Chysomelidea
Genus: Phaedon
Species: cochleariae
Common Name: Leaf Beetle

The Leaf Beetle can be found in the canopy of the Tropical Rainforest on the leaves of broad leafed trees.

Anphibia
- A class of vertebrates that live part of their life in the water with gills and another part on land
with lungs. They have two sets of legs, lay eggs, have smooth skin, and are ectotherns.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Anphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Dendrobatoidae
Genus: Dendrobates
Species: auratus
Common Name: Poison Dart Frog

The Poison Dart frog lives in the foliage, on the floor of the Tropical Rainforest.

Mammalia
- A class of vertabrates which have an advanced nervous system and brain,
lungs, feed their young with milk, have a head, appendages, a well developed organ
system, are endotherms, and most give birth to live young.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Tapiridae
Genus: Tapirus
Species: indicus
Common Name: Malayan Taipir

The Malayan Taipir lives on the floor of the Tropical Rainforest.

Osteichthyes
- A phylum of vertebrates that have gills, a skeleton of bones, two pair of fins,
lay eggs, and are ectotherms.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Osteichthyes
Order: Characiformes
Family: Characidae
Genus: Pythgocentrus
Species: natterei
Common Name: Red Bellied Piranha

The Red Bellied Piranha is most commonly found in the Amazon River, but they can also be found in deep streams below waterfalls.

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